North/East metro news briefs

Illegally prolonged dog noise is among the most infuriating aspects to life in a comfortably well off suburb, or at least in Arden Hills.

The city in its newsletter this month is letting folks in on just what violations of city code yield the greatest number of complaints.

Over the byline of City Council member Brenda Holden, officials report that the top sources of complaints from residents about the dude down the street include:

• Canine racket lasting well beyond the legally permitted occasional yelp. It turns out that "city ordinance 420.01, subdivision 4, states that owners shall prevent dogs from barking, crying, howling, or baying for more than five continuous minutes or intermittently for an unreasonable length of time." Adds Holden: "So please monitor your dog."

• Parked cars. In neighborhoods they have to be on driveways or parking lots and "no more than four vehicles can be parked on the driveway."

• Out of control yards. "Ordinance 602.02 subd. 6 limits height of weeds and grass" — a reply to visitors from other, less finicky states who've been known to ask, "Do you guys have laws on grass height or what?" Complaints also come in about (and rightly so, all of these are forbidden) "accumulation of tree branches, grass clippings, bottles, rubbish, trash, junk, and any abandoned materials." The last four may be redundant.

• Prominently situated garbage containers. They can't be in front of the house or "forward of the primary structure."

David Peterson

A 50,000-square-foot medical office building, planned for Woodbury's CityPlace development, has landed a major new tenant.

Minnesota Gastroenterology, which committed to a long-term lease in 18,000 square feet of that new building, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of adults and children and has outpatient endoscopy centers and clinics in Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Plymouth and St. Paul.

The new medical building will be the second at CityPlace and is part of the 100-acre planned development off Radio Drive and Interstate 94. The new building will be built near the 75,000-square-foot Tria orthopedic center, expected to open this summer.

"When the development plan for CityPlace was approved, the city identified the goal of creating a quality 'Places to Work' environment that was supported by vibrant retail and hospitality uses," said Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens. She also described her city of about 70,000 residents as a "health care destination."

Efforts to fix a beat-up thoroughfare in Blaine are moving forward now that the state has pitched in $3.2 million toward its reconstruction.

Funding for 105th Avenue NE., long bemoaned by city officials and residents as an unsafe eyesore, made it into the infrastructure bill signed by Gov. Mark Dayton late last month. The former county road was built in 1989 and has gone without any major repairs. It absorbs about 10,000 vehicles a day, many of them commuters or visitors to the National Sports Center.

The $7 million reconstruction project will put in two roundabouts and a new concrete sidewalk, among other improvements.

City leaders approved advertising for contractor bids at a City Council meeting earlier this month, but not without first debating whether to add a pedestrian tunnel to the design.

The push for a tunnel stalled in a 3-4 vote. Council members then approved the original reconstruction plan in another divided vote.

Hannah covington

Roseville is offering a free movie this week for families.

The city's parks folks on Friday are hosting a showing of the animated adventure, "The Secret Life of Pets."

The showing is at 7:30 p.m. at the city's OVAL, 2661 Civic Center Drive. Bring blankets or lawn chairs. Concessions will be sold. For questions, call 651-792-7006.

David Peterson

The work would be done between 50th Street North in Oak Park Heights and Baytown Township, and Orleans Street East in Stillwater.

For more information, contact project manager Allan Brandt at 651-430-4348 or allan.brandt@co.washington.mn.us.